Liverpool Uni to lead knowledge exchange

A PROJECT to speed up the transfer of research from the engineering departments of Liverpool and Manchester universities to business has been given the go ahead.

The project will see groundbreaking research and development from the North West Laser Engineering Consortium, an alliance between the universities of Liverpool and Manchester, to businesses in the region.

It has been given £882,000 investment from the Northwest European Regional Development Fund.

The NWLEC, which was established in 2005 with a £2.5m investment from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, brings together the expertise of both universities to research and develop laser capabilities for application in micro and nano technology.

However, the technology remains unproven in industry and the investment will be used for knowledge exchange activity to demonstrate that it can be applied and exploited by industry partners.

John Flamson, director of strategic partnerships and development at the University of Liverpool, said: “This new project will help us to translate cutting-edge laser technologies to the local business base, strengthening university-industry collaborations, and adding value to the university’s considerable expertise in this area. We are delighted that our collaboration with the University of Manchester can continue to build the advanced engineering sector of the Northwest.”

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “The North West is home to a world-class higher education sector, producing cutting-edge research, and is a vital resource for North West businesses.

“This research needs to be more accessible for companies, with the right support in place to enable it to be translated effectively into innovation new products and processes that will ensure they remain competitive in the global marketplace.”